Search Results for Category: Learning Vacations

Seniors Like The Self-Care Idea

Seniors, have you ever heard of a “Self-Care” vacation? Me either. So let’s find out what it is like to take one. “Self-care is a very active and powerful choice to engage in the activities that are required to gain or maintain an optimal level of overall health. And in this case, overall health includes not just the physical, but the psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual components of an individual’s well-being.”

In theory self-care is simple; it’s about taking care of yourself and being intentional about ensuring your well-being. However, it’s not nearly as easy to put into practice. According to Oneika The Traveller, for a woman, a solo vacation is the best one you can give yourself.

Seniors Read The 10 Commandments of Self-Care

Betty W. Williiams, Ph.D. in Psychology…“Vacations are intended to be a time for self-care, not just a time to pack up and head to the beach. While vacations may actually be fun and relaxing, the reverse is often too true, and the longed-for escape turns into extra expenses and stress.”

Valerie Burton offers The 10 Commandments of Self-Care. This is a lifestyle not just a vacation suggestion and good for men as well as women, seniors as well as juniors.

Miriam Geiser, travel consultant with KK Travels Worldwide has planned self care getaways for clients and herself. “A self-care vacation is about slowing down and nurturing yourself so you feel truly mentally and physically rested at the end.”

Hearing the sound of crashing waves or chirping birds and insects, taking in a beautiful vista on a pristine lake, smelling the flowers of a tropical garden or feeling the warmth of the sunshine on your skin stimulate the senses in a positive way and take you away from the hubbub of your daily life.

Seniors Drawn To Nature

Some of the self-care vacation ideas that caught this senior’s attention include Digital Detox, Painting, Nature and Cooking. Letting Mother Nature help with my attempt to give way to a relaxing vacation tops my list.

“While there’s no denying the value of the creations of humankind—our architecture and art— the natural world has a splendor unmatched by any building, city, or painting.

Anyone who has taken a walk through, say, an autumn forest, the leaves gently floating, the air crisp and dry and crackling with energy, can tell you the effects of nature on mind, body, and spirit. In a word, it’s freedom.”

Frank Lloyd Wright once said “Love Nature, Stay with Nature, The Closest One Will Ever Come To Knowing God, is Knowing Nature.” Einstein agreed: “Look closely into Nature and then you will understand everything better.”

Seniors, let’s consider our next vacation to be of the Self-Care variety. Sound right? It makes good sense to me. -jeb

Seniors Visit York, England

Rick Steves. my travel hero, notes that York and Bath are his two favorite cities outside of London in the UK. Having paid a visit to Bath with my family, senior travelers, get your coffee and let’s go explore York together.

York, rich in ancient history, romantic ambience and fun activities makes the perfect holiday destination for senior travelers. Renowned for its exquisite architecture and tangle of quaint cobbled streets, York is a flourishing city, just two hours by train from London.

York lies in the Vale of York, a flat area of fertile arable land bordered by the Pennines, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds. The city was built at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss on a terminal moraine left by the last Ice Age.

Seniors Seek Out The Shambles

The first mention of York by this name is dated to circa 95–104 AD as an address on a wooden stylus tablet from the Roman fortress of Vindolanda in Northumberland. The medieval city walls are a highlight for visitors, along with York Minster, the cathedral of York.

Seniors will enjoy the National Railroad Museum, the York Castle Museum, and The Shambles, York’s most famous street that is lined with timber-framed buildings housing a range of touristy shops, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century.

It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally ‘flesh-shelves’), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat. As recently as 1872 twenty-five butchers’ shops were located along the street, but now none remain.

Seniors Find Historic Walled City

York is a historic walled city at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The municipality is the traditional county town of Yorkshire to which it gives its name. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events in England throughout much of its two millennia of existence.

The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities making it a popular tourist destination.

The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It became the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and later of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jórvík. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained.

TripAdvisor notes nearly 200 things for seniors to see and do in York. You will not be disappointed in the least as it is one of the top tourist cities in the UK along with London and Bath. -jeb

Senior Single Men Seek Travel Tours

USA Today recently wrote that Seniors who love to travel have many options for exploring the world, even by themselves. Several companies offer trips geared toward senior single travelers.

Special features like a slower pace, tours that aren’t too physically taxing, and social gatherings like nightly dinners and dances with other tourists near the same age make the tour attractive to senior single men.

From Mediterranean cruises to escorted treks through South America, travel opportunities for single seniors cover a broad range.

Senior single men, Vacations To Go offers a cruise for singles.Each year, they select several itineraries in different regions of the world, on various cruise ships, and negotiate an extremely low rate for single customers.

Trained hosts from their headquarters organize get-togethers, cocktail parties, dinner seating and more, allowing individuals or friends to travel as part of a large and fun-loving group of singles.

Senior Single Men Enjoy Road Scholar

Road Scholar is a premier program with many solo travelers. I have had the pleasure of serving as a Tour Group Leader with this organization and they are first class. They are trusted and well known for offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere for couples and solo participants alike. The atmosphere you’ll find is of learning in the company of a small group of individual friends, rather than traveling with a collection of couples.

If you are single and over 50, traveling by yourself may seem daunting. If Cancun was the go-to destination when you were 20, it may not be your scene anymore.

At Stitch, they have scoured the globe for the 5 best travel destinations for singles over 50 that will give you the best opportunity to enjoy your travel.

Tips For Senior Solo Travel

Allianz features 11 Secrets for Successful Senior Singles Travel. Looking for a travel companion who shares your love of river cruising, fine wine and Paris flea markets? Look in the mirror. Traveling solo might seem daunting, but it’s easier — and more rewarding — than you think. These 11 tips for senior singles travel can help you create the perfect solo vacation.

About Travel has an article called Tours and Cruises for Single Seniors. They list several companies and organizations that provide single seniors tour information. This is one of the best sites I have found that addresses the topic and provides so much help. So “O Solo Mio” and get going.

Lastly, Fodor’s has a link on Single Senior Citizen Travel with comments made by single folks who experienced solo travel. This blog is simply a step in helping you to make some choices on your own.

Talk with your travel agent who is experienced in travel for those who prefer to travel alone, but not be alone on the trip. Enjoy making your plans, and better yet, enjoy your solo adventure wherever you choose to go. -jeb

Seniors Stop In Cambridge

Cambridge, in the Boston metropolitan area, has a population right at 110,000. Senior travelers will find Cambridge directly north of the city of Boston, across the Charles River. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Cambridge is home to two of the world’s most prominent universities, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Cambridge has also been home to Radcliffe College, once one of the leading colleges for women in the United States before it merged with Harvard. I spent a summer at Harvard studying the films of Jean Renoir. Spent a lot of time on Harvard Square, a favorite haunt of the students of Harvard.

Cambridge has been called the “City of Squares” by some, as most of its commercial districts are major street intersections known as squares. Each of the squares acts as a neighborhood center.

Seniors Find History Surrounds Cambridge

There are plenty of Cambridge historic sites and museums for seniors to visit that give insight into the exciting history of this beautiful city. Many of the churches in Cambridge are historical. Harvard University is made up of numerous historical buildings. Austin Hall at Harvard University dates to 1882 and is one of the most visited historical buildings in Cambridge. I well recall walking in the Main Library and seeing an original Gutenberg Bible on display under glass.

The site for what would become Cambridge was chosen in December 1630, because it was located safely upriver from Boston Harbor, which made it easily defensible from attacks by enemy ships. Thomas Dudley, his daughter Anne Bradstreet, and her husband Simon, were among the first settlers of the town.

The first houses were built in the spring of 1631. The settlement was initially referred to as “the newe towne”. Official Massachusetts records show the name as Newe Towne by 1632 and a single word Newtowne by 1638. Manufacturing was an important part of the economy in the late 19th and early 20th century, but educational institutions are the city’s biggest employers today.

Cemeteries and Museums Draw Senior Visitors

TripAdvisor suggests that senior visitors head for Mt. Auburn Cemetery first, then on to Harvard. There’s no better way to learn the history of Cambridge than visiting the museums in the city: Busch-Reisinger Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge Arts Council Gallery and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

Seniors, as you cross the St.Charles Bridge on your way over to Cambridge, be on the lookout for students who are skulling on the river. This spot is where they shoot off the 4th of July fireworks from barges as the Boston Pops plays nearby.

Enjoy Cambridge and all that the fine city has to offer visitors. -jeb

Seniors Explore The World

This senior was curious to find out the largest cities in the world by population and the largest countries by surface area. Get your coffee and let me show you what I discovered. I figured that China was the largest both by population and surface area. I was wrong, very wrong. What do you think the two or three top would be? I’ve been to three of the largest five cities.

Tokyo is far above New York Metro with 33,200,000. I remember trying to take a photo of Tokyo and found that it is impossible. NYC came in second with 17,800,000 and Seoul, Korea missed NYC by only 100,000 and Mexico City by 300,000. You can look these up yourself and many are surprising, at least it was to me. Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta (Kolkata), Delhi and Chennai are huge in India.

Now let’s consider the largest countries by total population. China, right. And who follows by only 100 million? Yes, India. But did you know that the USA ranks third just ahead of Indonesia and Brazil.

Seniors Explore The World Some More

So, how are you doing? Now let’s explore the largest in size by area. Any ideas? China? They came in #4 behind Russia, Canada and the USA. Any idea of #5 or #6? Try Brazil and then Australia. They have a lot of land and like Russia, Canada and China, lots of the area is unused and desolate. Not so with the USA.

Russia encompasses 17,075,200 sq. km. Seniors, do you know how much a kilometer is? Well, it is 0.621371 miles and 1 mile equals 1.60934 kilometers. Voila, there you have it, that really helps a lot, doesn’t it? Canada has about half as much land as Russia with 9,994,670 sq. km. I always wonder who is able to figure out those stats right down to the last kilometer. Just 9.7% of the land of Canada is privately held and of course Russi has Siberia.

Seniors Explore The World Even More

Well, perhaps you are totally bored with all those figures by now. I will depart today’s blog with one last piece of information for those seniors among you who are still reading this article. Curious what the largest bodies of water in the world are?

As you may already know, the Earth is often referred to as the “blue planet.” This particular nickname was given due to the immense volume of water covering the surface of our planet; more specifically, 70% of the Earth is covered by water, making up 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons. Now who did that calculation?

The Pacific Ocean is not only the largest body of water, but it is also the oldest. I’ll let you go figure that one out… I had no idea. See you back at seniorcitizen.travel tomorrow. Ciao. Au revoir. Auf Weidershehen. Arrivederci. Aloha. Adiós. Sayonara. Shalom. Totsiens. Vale and Zàijiàn. -jeb

Seniors Check Out Historic Cortez

I read recently that a 96 year old Navajo woman was awarded her lifelong wish by an organization called Wish of a Lifetime. It was simply to visit some beloved sheep in Colorado. She grew up with sheep… it was her life. Seniors, let’s follow her to Cortez and enjoy Colorado with her. We won’t visit any sheep, however we will discover Cortez.

Cortez Colorado, the county seat of Montezuma County, Colorado, has a population of just under 9,000. Back in 1886, the town was built to provide housing for the men working on the tunnels and irrigation ditches required to divert water out of the Dolores River and into Montezuma Valley. The town was named for Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.

Today it is a popular stop for senior tourists, because of its surrounding attractions: Mesa Verde National Park, Monument Valley, and the famed Four Corners of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. A visit to these locations will leave you steeped in the history of the Ancestral Puebloan people, from the places they lived to the tools they used in everyday life.

Seniors Find The Trail Of The Ancients

Ancestral Puebloans lived in the Mesa Verde area for more than eight centuries. Mesa Verde Park is most famous for its cliff dwellings, but many of the surface sites also tell the story of the people who inhabited this area for centuries.

I’d want to check out the prehistoric sites in the Cortez area listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. They include parks or centers, like the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Hovenweep National Monument, and Mesa Verde National Park. The Archaeological Center preserves the history of ancestral Pueblo Indians, as well as the Anasazi who lived there 700 years ago.

Cortez is famed for historic trails or byways such as the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, the San Juan Skyway National Scenic Byway and what is known as the Trail of the Ancients. The Crossroads Culture Walk in downtown Cortez guides you through the history of the town with buildings dating from the 1890s to the 1930s.

And for you oenophiles, a short drive south of Cortez is McElmo Canyon, the location for the growing micro-industry of viticulture. Enjoy wine sipping from one of the local vintners.

Seniors Visit Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

TripAdvisor suggests that seniors visit the Cortez Cultural Center, located in a beautiful historic building with an unusual painted pressed-metal facade. Don’t miss the Hovenweep National Monument and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

The Canyons is a rugged and breathtaking landscape containing the highest known density of archaeological sites in the United States covering over 175,000 acres. More than 6,000 ancient sites including cliff dwellings, kivas, and rock art have been identified.

Seniors, now you know that Cortez is scenic, loaded with ancient monuments and provides excellent local food and quality wine. It will be an enjoyable visit! -jeb

Seniors Enjoy Archeological Tours

Grab your coffee, seniors, we’re checking into archeological tours today.If you enjoy archeology, as I do, check out Archeological Adventures. You will also discover a wide range of museums throughout the world that focus on ancient ages. You are invited to journey back in time and some even offer biking as part of a tour.

This former teacher of French would enjoy an archeological tour of southern France. “Archeological Tours create a customized tour to take in the artistic splendors of France, from the earliest times to the present. This can include, depending on your interests and time available, the spectacular cave art sites of south west France, the enigmatic Neolithic carvings of southern Brittany, the stunning Medieval and Renaissance architecture and art in the Loire Valley, Ile de France, Picardy and Normandy, the exquisite Bayeux tapestry.”

Guatemala, Rome, Easter Island and China rise to the top from among the many interesting choices. You will want to get acquainted with the AIA, Archaeological Institute of America that can help senior travelers find just what they might be looking for.

Seniors Enjoy Comfortable to Luxurious

The Archeological Conservancy offers tours to the remote jungles of Honduras. Archeological tours offer in-depth land trips that range from comfortable to ultra-luxurious and cruises aboard small ships that dock and anchor at historic ports and towns that larger ships are unable to visit.

Throughout the world senior archeology enthusiasts will come in contact with a heart of history that is very exciting. The Yucatan Peninsula, an exciting trip for my wife and me, offered great sites that included Chichen Itza and Tulum. Read what USA Today has to say about this portion of Mexico.

If I wanted to take in Egypt, I would visit the Land of the Pharaohs with the most famous archaeologist in the world – Dr. Zahi Hawass. There is no better person to lead you through the fascinating history of ancient Egypt than Dr. Hawass. For over 20 years he held all the keys to the Egyptian antiquities and he is renown throughout the world for his expertise.

Seniors Enjoy Learning Vacations

Tara Tours will help you discover the Ancient treasures of the Moche, Chimu, Nazca and Inca civilizations, while you travel through some of the most spectacular geographical locations on earth. Peru is a country full of interesting archaeological sites. Perhaps biblical archeology is up your alley, mingling with archaeologists and Bible scholars who share their latest research and findings.

Archaeology tours explore bygone cultures to learn what shaped and drove these ancient societies along with their politics and technological developments, and how they helped shape our modern world.

Andante Travels offer over 120 archaeological tours that focus on cultural holidays, exploring every corner of the ancient world. Elder Treks features adventure tours for folks over the age of 50, that’s us.

Seniors Visit the Butterfly Capital of the World

Yes, it is in Florida and the city is called Coconut Creek. This senior has visited some fine butterfly houses like the one in Vienna, Austria, (The Vienna Schmetterlinghaus) the Botanical Garden in Phoenix and a couple of others, but the one in Coconut Creek matches any and all in the world.

It is nicknamed Butterfly Capital of the World, because it is home to the world’s largest butterfly aviary, with over 80 species and 5,000 individual butterflies. It all began when Ronald Boender started raising butterflies and their food plants in their Florida home and it went sky high from there.

The city took its name from the many coconut trees that were planted in the area by early developers. Robert E. Bateman, one of the developers, named Coconut Creek after combining the names of Miami-Dade County’s village of Indian Creek and the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove.

Today the city has a population of around 56,000 and is part of the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to over five and a half million inhabitants.

Seniors Find Another Best City In America

Hi-lighted as one of the “Best Cities to Live in America” by Money Magazine, and a Top Ten Place to Live in Florida by Movoto and NerdWallet, annually Coconut Creek draws a host of folks of all ages to Broward County.

Senior visitors eventually head off to The Promenade at Coconut Creek, an outdoor lifestyle shopping destination with a wide array of upscale stores. Seminole Casino also is another major draw of visitors with over 2,400 Vegas-style and bingo-style machines.

TripAdvisor has sixteen attractions that you will not want to miss on your visit to Coconut Creek. Broward County notes that Coconut Creek is widely recognized as a well-planned community with a unique environmental consciousness. The city touts an abundance of trees, waterways, attractive landscaped roads, beautiful parks, and butterfly gardens throughout the neighborhoods.

Seniors Also Find A Community Wildlife Habitat

Coconut Creek is the first in the State of Florida and eleventh in the country to be certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat. Anyway you view Coconut Creek, it is the plethora of colorful butterflies in Butterfly World that would bring these seniors, me and my wife, to the city. In one word…they are awesome!

Toss your clubs in your vehicle and play a round or two at either the Adios or Wynmoor Golf Courses. Senior golfers will find several more courses in nearby Pompano Beach. So plan to visit Coconut Creek and discover the many amenities available and why the locals enjoy living in this community. -jeb

Seniors Explore Best Places To Visit

Many seniors enjoy traveling during their retirement years. Today the variety of tours is almost limitless. Senior travelers might enjoy educational tours. Culinary Tours, Art Tours, Science Tours, Foreign Language Tours, Performance Tours, College Visit Tours, Theater and Drama Tours, and Adventure Tours are among the many possibilities.

Daily Women Talks lists their Top 8 Destinations for Seniors starting with Niagara Falls. If you have never paid a visit to the Falls, its time. Branson is one of the most popular destinations for seniors, especially for the more active folks. Golf, museums, shopping, and shows are some of the many activities offered by this big music town. Given the title “Live Music Show Capital of the World”, Branson they say, is the best alternative for Las Vegas.

The biggest advantage of being in your senior years is having tons of free time to spend traveling. Whether you are planning a solo trip, a trip with your loved one or even a family trip with your grandchildren there are many beautiful destinations around the U.S with special budget offers for seniors that you can choose from.

Group Tours For Seniors

Group Tours has a listing of their preferences for senior group tours if you prefer to travel with a group or with friends.

About Travel lists their top destinations for seniors. They hike up into Canada and then take off for France. France is the world’s top travel destination. France has it all – the Alps, the Normandy coast, soaring church spires and historic castles, then add in France’s excellent food and delightful wine choices.

About Travel has bargains all set for you with a variety of tours and sites. They list the top sites in Europe and then Australia and New Zealand.

Travel Clubs For Seniors

Check out your own region. There are senior travel clubs that cater to singles or groups. Clubs that offer cultural tours. Clubs that provide discounts. Clubs that fit just about any need or desire.

One could go on and on with this blog, but we will draw it to a close with Home Away that takes seniors abilities and interests in mind. They note that for many seniors, retirement opens up a whole new world of possibilities. The kids are grown and on their own, and seniors are no longer tied to their jobs.

This is your chance to get away, see the world, and enjoy life with family and friends and make new friends. The world is your oyster, so why not spend your days out exploring. Start your mind wandering with these travel suggestions. Enjoy making plans for a super vacation and perhaps view a few Senior Travel Tips prior to your departure. The choice is all yours. Enjoy. -jeb

Seniors Spend Time In Historic Edison

Senior travelers stop in Edison, a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey with a population of 100,000, and one of the fastest-growing municipalities in New Jersey.

Originally Raritan Township, the name was officially changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954, in honor of inventor Thomas Edison, whose main laboratory was in the Menlo Park section of the township.

Folks have lived in and around Edison since prehistoric times. Skull and bone fragments from the Stone Age have been discovered in the Piscatawaytown area, and arrowheads and cooking implements, ascribed to Native Americans living in the area, were found in an archeological dig in the Dismal Swamp.

It is said that George Washington passed through Edison on the way to his inauguration in New York City in April 1789. I always wonder who recorded that kind of fact.

Seniors Enjoy The Thomas Edison Center

The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, located within the 36-acre Edison State Park, consists of a museum with interpretative and interactive exhibits and the Edison Memorial Tower. The site is devoted to Thomas Alva Edison’s time of immense creativity at Menlo Park, 1876-1882.

Menlo Park was one of the six neighborhoods that formed Raritan Township. It was a very sparsely populated rural area and the site of a failed residential development in the early 1870s. Thomas Edison set up his home and research laboratory on the site of this unsuccessful real estate development in Raritan Township.

While there he earned the nickname “The Wizard of Menlo Park.” Indeed, he was a Wizard. Before his death at age 83 in 1931, the prolific inventor amassed a record 1,093 patents for creations including the incandescent light bulb, photograph, alkaline battery and many more. The motto in Edison is “Let There Be Light.” and senior visitors will see the world’s largest light bulb monument.

Seniors Also Enjoy Asian American Culture

Edison hosts one of the region’s main centers of Asian American cultural diversity and is home to Little India, featuring food, clothing and music. The township is also in the process of developing a sprawling suburban Chinatown.

TripAdvisor suggests that you not miss the Thomas Edison Museum. After that maybe a picnic in Roosevelt Park. Senior golfers, bring your golf clubs and play a round at the Raritan Landing Golf Course.

Old Post Road winds around in Edison and is the earliest public road in eastern New Jersey. There are lots of businesses all along the route. The Bonhamtown area of Edison is said to have been the site of an old Native American village and later a Continental Army camp and battleground during the Revolutionary War.

Senior visitors can enjoy the Farmer’s Market, the Edison Arts Society and Middlesex County’s Plays-in-the-Park, during the summer months. Spend some time in Edison and enjoy. -jeb